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Led by Randall L. Stephenson, chairman and CEO, AT&T is the product of the former SBC’s 2005 acquisition of its one-time parent AT&T and later fellow RBOC BellSouth. In the wireline segment, AT&T has been aggressively expanding its rollout of both IP-based business services (Ethernet and VPN) and consumer broadband and video (U-verse IPTV and broadband service).

AT&T

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The FCC plans, at the suggestion of Chairman Tom Wheeler, to reject a proposal from T-Mobile US, Sprint and other smaller carriers to increase the amount of spectrum set aside for smaller carriers to bid on in next year's incentive auction of 600 MHz broadcast TV spectrum, according to multiple reports

As AT&T moves forward with its fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) roll out, the service provider plans to virtualize its GPON optical line terminals (OLTs) it deploys in each Central Office to deliver GigaPower 1 Gbps service to residential and business customers.

AT&T thinks T-Mobile US' push to expand the amount of spectrum smaller carriers can bid on in next year's incentive auction of 600 MHz broadcast TV spectrum is more about making sure T-Mobile has less competition in bidding in urban markets than in expanding its rural coverage.

While AT&T and Comcast continue to grab headlines with their 1 and 2 Gbps plans, alternative providers NTS and Tucows' Ting are also hot on the FTTH expansion trail, announcing that they are bringing 1 Gbps service to more areas of Texas and Virginia.

The growth rate of small cells and distributed antenna systems (DAS) is down in 2015 compared to 2014, according to Wells Fargo analysts Jennifer Fritzsche, Caleb Stein and Eric Luebchow. But that will likely change in 2016.